Chapter 4
Something to Hide Part 2:
Ginny's greeting was answered with a prolonged silence. "Harry answer me!" she hollered in a forceful voice. She fumbled with the doorknob, only to find that it was locked. "Harry Potter, if you don't answer me now, I'm unlocking this door!" she yelled. She was again greeted with silence. "Fine then," she told her stubborn friend through the door. She pulled out her wand, pointed it at the door, and whispered the incantation, "alohamora." Ginny heard a faint click within the door. She opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Harry looked up when she entered. His emerald eyes searched her sapphire blue ones, looking for some sort of explanation. When he found none, he looked at her questioningly. "What do you want, Ginny?" he asked her, his eyes filled with sadness. When she looked into his eyes, she could see what no one else could. When she looked into his eyes, she saw eons of pain, and horror, and suffering, that no one his age should have gone through. When she looked into his eyes, she had the urge to break down and cry. "I came up here to see if you were ok. Are you? I mean I know that you're mad at us for not telling you about Ron and Hermione sooner, but they swore me and Neville to secrecy," Ginny told him. "I guess I'm ok. You're right, I am mad about Ron and Hermione, but if they'd only told me sooner, I'd have been happy for them," Harry told her. For the first time since he'd met Ginny, he felt something deep inside him come to life when he looked at her. He turned away to hide his reddening cheeks. But he hadn't turned away fast enough, because Ginny saw his red face, and she too began to blush. Harry was baffled that he'd seen Ginny blush too. Hey, Harry, you know that crush I had on you until last year," she asked him. "Yea," he replied. It was this moment that he realized that he had feelings for Ginny, he only hoped she felt the same way about him. "Well, I think my crush is back," she said bluntly. When Harry realized what she'd just said, his mouth fell open. "What are you saying," he asked. "I'm saying, I think I love you Harry," she said going as red as her hair. She moved over to sit next to him. "I love you to Ginny," Harry told her, as he too began to blush furiously. "I'm glad we feel the same way," Ginny told him in a calm voice, "but you know that Ron is going to kill you when he finds out." "I know, but who says he has to find out now?" he asked her. "I don't know who, but I won't tell if you won't," she said with a mysterious look in her crystal blue eyes. "That's fine with me," Harry replied. Ginny leaned in towards Harry, and their lips met. Their first kiss as a 'secret' couple, was simple, but held all the love for each other, they'd kept bottled up inside themselves for so long. When they broke apart they were smiling at each other. "Let's go back downstairs. Ron and Hermione have probably come back in by now," Harry said to his girlfriend, still awed by the happenings of the last 10 minutes. "Ok," she replied. So, hand in hand, they made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ron and Hermione had been worried about Harry after he'd stormed off, so they had gone back into the house. Neville had told them that Ginny had gone to talk to him, and the three of them sat at the square kitchen table, waiting for them to come downstairs. They all looked up as they heard someone enter the kitchen. They'd expected the two people that were standing there, but they hadn't expected Harry and Ginny to be holding HANDS! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Harry and Ginny had noticed that everyone had gone quiet when they came into the kitchen. Only then did they realize that they'd been holding hands. They quickly, but reculently, let go of each others hands. Ron was quickest to notice the odd behavior of his best friend and little sister. "Ginny, why were you holding hands with Harry?" he questioned his sister. "Uh.I wasn't holding hands with Harry," Ginny told her overprotective brother. Hiding her and Harry's secret relationship was going to be harder that she thought. She nudged Harry to make sure that he played along with her story. Hermione saw this gesture and wondered what it meant. "Harry why did Ginny Nudge you?" she asked her best friend. Uh. She want's me to tell you that.I'm sorry for overreacting, I'm really happy for you," Harry said. "Oh, ok. Ron and I wanted to say that we know now that we should have told you sooner, we're sorry," Hermione responded, not quiet believing that that was why Ginny had nudged him. "Ok," Harry said. After the apologies, the 'Golden Trio' times two made their way into the living room. "Why don't we practice magic until Aunt Petunia tells us that it's time to go to Diagon Alley?" Ginny suggested. Her proposition was met with a chorus of 'sure'. They all took out their wands and said, "Accio school trunks." Their Hogwarts trunks promptly zoomed down the stairs to their respectful owners. "What should we do first?" Neville asked. "Why don't we focus on defense spells, since Voldemort is back, it could be useful," Harry told the group. "I agree," Ginny spoke. "So do I," Hermione seconded. They all took out their wands, and a few defense books, and began to practice. "Hey, Hermione, what do you think would happen if I tried to cast a spell without my wand?" Harry asked his brainy friend. "I don't know Harry, probably nothing, unless you can perform wandless magic," she told her famous friend. "Let me try, who knows," Harry said, his voice ringing with determination. Harry moved his hand the way he'd move his wand, and cried, "Wingardium Leviosa!" Everyone was in awe as the cauldron rose a few feet into the air. "Oh my god! Harry, you can perform wandless magic!" Hermione screeched. Harry lowered his cauldron, and just stood there amazed that he'd just preformed wandless magic. "Cool! Hey, why don't you all try to perform wandless magic, maybe you can do it too," Harry said. His friends all had looks of doubt etched into their faces as they cast their spells. To their bewilderment, it seemed that they could all perform wandless magic. Ginny's face lit up as she successfully cast a 'bat bogey' hex on and unsuspecting Dudley, as he was coming down the stairs. "I can't believe it! Harry did you see that?" Ginny cried. "Oh, sorry Dudley," she told Harry's stricken cousin. She preformed the counter curse, and walked over to Harry and gave him a hug. Caught up in her happiness, she forgot that they were trying to hide their relationship. As everyone removed their spells, they turned to stare at Harry and Ginny. "I knew it," Hermione said proudly. "Knew what Mione," Ron said, clearly not putting the pieces together. "Didn't you just see? They're together, a couple, like you and I. It's pretty obvious. The whole holding hands and nudging thing, and now Ginny just hugged Harry!" an exasperated Hermione told her clueless boyfriend. "Y-y-you two are g-g-going out.t-together?" Ron stuttered. "Uh.yeah, as of 20 minutes ago," Harry and Ginny said at once. "Oh, ok. I trust you guys," Ron said. "Hold on, who are you and what have you done with Ron Weasley?" Ginny demanded. "I said I trust you guys, and I do," he repeated. "Seems like everyone's got something to hide these days," Hermione stated, "Neville are you hiding anything?" she finished. Neville began to turn red at Hermione's question. "Uh.I've sort of been going out with L.Luna since the middle of 5th year," he said, his face bright red. "Oh, ok," they all said, not sure exactly what to say.
Ginny's greeting was answered with a prolonged silence. "Harry answer me!" she hollered in a forceful voice. She fumbled with the doorknob, only to find that it was locked. "Harry Potter, if you don't answer me now, I'm unlocking this door!" she yelled. She was again greeted with silence. "Fine then," she told her stubborn friend through the door. She pulled out her wand, pointed it at the door, and whispered the incantation, "alohamora." Ginny heard a faint click within the door. She opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Harry looked up when she entered. His emerald eyes searched her sapphire blue ones, looking for some sort of explanation. When he found none, he looked at her questioningly. "What do you want, Ginny?" he asked her, his eyes filled with sadness. When she looked into his eyes, she could see what no one else could. When she looked into his eyes, she saw eons of pain, and horror, and suffering, that no one his age should have gone through. When she looked into his eyes, she had the urge to break down and cry. "I came up here to see if you were ok. Are you? I mean I know that you're mad at us for not telling you about Ron and Hermione sooner, but they swore me and Neville to secrecy," Ginny told him. "I guess I'm ok. You're right, I am mad about Ron and Hermione, but if they'd only told me sooner, I'd have been happy for them," Harry told her. For the first time since he'd met Ginny, he felt something deep inside him come to life when he looked at her. He turned away to hide his reddening cheeks. But he hadn't turned away fast enough, because Ginny saw his red face, and she too began to blush. Harry was baffled that he'd seen Ginny blush too. Hey, Harry, you know that crush I had on you until last year," she asked him. "Yea," he replied. It was this moment that he realized that he had feelings for Ginny, he only hoped she felt the same way about him. "Well, I think my crush is back," she said bluntly. When Harry realized what she'd just said, his mouth fell open. "What are you saying," he asked. "I'm saying, I think I love you Harry," she said going as red as her hair. She moved over to sit next to him. "I love you to Ginny," Harry told her, as he too began to blush furiously. "I'm glad we feel the same way," Ginny told him in a calm voice, "but you know that Ron is going to kill you when he finds out." "I know, but who says he has to find out now?" he asked her. "I don't know who, but I won't tell if you won't," she said with a mysterious look in her crystal blue eyes. "That's fine with me," Harry replied. Ginny leaned in towards Harry, and their lips met. Their first kiss as a 'secret' couple, was simple, but held all the love for each other, they'd kept bottled up inside themselves for so long. When they broke apart they were smiling at each other. "Let's go back downstairs. Ron and Hermione have probably come back in by now," Harry said to his girlfriend, still awed by the happenings of the last 10 minutes. "Ok," she replied. So, hand in hand, they made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ron and Hermione had been worried about Harry after he'd stormed off, so they had gone back into the house. Neville had told them that Ginny had gone to talk to him, and the three of them sat at the square kitchen table, waiting for them to come downstairs. They all looked up as they heard someone enter the kitchen. They'd expected the two people that were standing there, but they hadn't expected Harry and Ginny to be holding HANDS! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Harry and Ginny had noticed that everyone had gone quiet when they came into the kitchen. Only then did they realize that they'd been holding hands. They quickly, but reculently, let go of each others hands. Ron was quickest to notice the odd behavior of his best friend and little sister. "Ginny, why were you holding hands with Harry?" he questioned his sister. "Uh.I wasn't holding hands with Harry," Ginny told her overprotective brother. Hiding her and Harry's secret relationship was going to be harder that she thought. She nudged Harry to make sure that he played along with her story. Hermione saw this gesture and wondered what it meant. "Harry why did Ginny Nudge you?" she asked her best friend. Uh. She want's me to tell you that.I'm sorry for overreacting, I'm really happy for you," Harry said. "Oh, ok. Ron and I wanted to say that we know now that we should have told you sooner, we're sorry," Hermione responded, not quiet believing that that was why Ginny had nudged him. "Ok," Harry said. After the apologies, the 'Golden Trio' times two made their way into the living room. "Why don't we practice magic until Aunt Petunia tells us that it's time to go to Diagon Alley?" Ginny suggested. Her proposition was met with a chorus of 'sure'. They all took out their wands and said, "Accio school trunks." Their Hogwarts trunks promptly zoomed down the stairs to their respectful owners. "What should we do first?" Neville asked. "Why don't we focus on defense spells, since Voldemort is back, it could be useful," Harry told the group. "I agree," Ginny spoke. "So do I," Hermione seconded. They all took out their wands, and a few defense books, and began to practice. "Hey, Hermione, what do you think would happen if I tried to cast a spell without my wand?" Harry asked his brainy friend. "I don't know Harry, probably nothing, unless you can perform wandless magic," she told her famous friend. "Let me try, who knows," Harry said, his voice ringing with determination. Harry moved his hand the way he'd move his wand, and cried, "Wingardium Leviosa!" Everyone was in awe as the cauldron rose a few feet into the air. "Oh my god! Harry, you can perform wandless magic!" Hermione screeched. Harry lowered his cauldron, and just stood there amazed that he'd just preformed wandless magic. "Cool! Hey, why don't you all try to perform wandless magic, maybe you can do it too," Harry said. His friends all had looks of doubt etched into their faces as they cast their spells. To their bewilderment, it seemed that they could all perform wandless magic. Ginny's face lit up as she successfully cast a 'bat bogey' hex on and unsuspecting Dudley, as he was coming down the stairs. "I can't believe it! Harry did you see that?" Ginny cried. "Oh, sorry Dudley," she told Harry's stricken cousin. She preformed the counter curse, and walked over to Harry and gave him a hug. Caught up in her happiness, she forgot that they were trying to hide their relationship. As everyone removed their spells, they turned to stare at Harry and Ginny. "I knew it," Hermione said proudly. "Knew what Mione," Ron said, clearly not putting the pieces together. "Didn't you just see? They're together, a couple, like you and I. It's pretty obvious. The whole holding hands and nudging thing, and now Ginny just hugged Harry!" an exasperated Hermione told her clueless boyfriend. "Y-y-you two are g-g-going out.t-together?" Ron stuttered. "Uh.yeah, as of 20 minutes ago," Harry and Ginny said at once. "Oh, ok. I trust you guys," Ron said. "Hold on, who are you and what have you done with Ron Weasley?" Ginny demanded. "I said I trust you guys, and I do," he repeated. "Seems like everyone's got something to hide these days," Hermione stated, "Neville are you hiding anything?" she finished. Neville began to turn red at Hermione's question. "Uh.I've sort of been going out with L.Luna since the middle of 5th year," he said, his face bright red. "Oh, ok," they all said, not sure exactly what to say.